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Torture: America v. America
Mona tells an Egyptian view of American torture: I think of that hooded demonstrator in the orange jumpsuit often. The occupant of the White House might have changed but America still hasn’t had the necessary conversation about torture that he insisted on starting. Instead, it avoids engaging and prefers to walk away like the girl’s chaperone. The continuing love affair with President Barack Obama must not blindfold America to the reckoning it must have. Which is why I hope that hooded demonstrator is still there outside the White House with his board saying “End Torture Now.” Only now, with a…
A Muslim Community, Tarred Again | Racialicious – the intersection of race and pop culture
A Muslim Community, Tarred Again | Racialicious – the intersection of race and pop culture. But even as I rose through the ranks of Washington, DC, I continued to face constant scrutiny over my faith. When I interviewed at a human-rights organization, I was asked more than once if I am willing to condemn suicide bombing and if I am comfortable supporting gay marriage. I told the interviewer that no self-respecting human rights advocate supports suicide bombing and opposes gay marriage. The answer did not suffice. To get the job, I had to spell it out: I am against suicide…
Islam and the Lagging Economies of the Arab World : The New Yorker
Islam and the Lagging Economies of the Arab World : The New Yorker. But, before consigning a fifth of humanity to the dustbin of economic history, one might consider, more broadly, whether it makes sense to place such an emphasis on religion in explaining the underdevelopment of so many Muslim countries. To start with, it’s worth noting—and Kuran and Lewis, to their credit, do note it—that Islam, at least in its original formulation, was far from hostile to business. As the centuries passed, many Muslim regions fell badly behind the West, but the most immediate explanation involves not Islam but…